Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” – Psalm 139:13-14

This Sunday many churches around the world will observe what is called “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.” We too will join in this celebration by reflecting on the preciousness of human life. In his wisdom God marked mankind off from the rest of his creation. We are not simply higher animals. We are image bearers of God who are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Human beings are the pinnacle of God’s creative work. When you read the creation account, it becomes painfully obvious that mankind is different from all the rest of what God has made. Yes, God proclaims the goodness of the light and dark, land and sea, sun and moon, fish and birds, but the Lord makes it clear that humanity stands head and shoulders above the rest.

First of all, God says that he created humans in his own image (Gen 1:27). Every man, woman, boy, and girl that you have ever met bears on them the stamp of the Divine. Mountains, oceans, planets, and stars are glorious, but they do not reflect the character of God as clearly as you and I. Second, God speaks to Adam and Eve (Gen 1:28). The Lord explicitly told our first parents what it meant to live life under His rule. What this means is that God gave mankind the capacity to willfully glorify him. It is true that whales, trees, and galaxies bring glory to the Creator, but they do so unknowingly. However, human beings have been granted by God the privilege of conscious worship of their Creator. Finally, when God created humankind, he gave them authority over the rest of creation (Gen 1:28-29). Adam and Eve were not just to be residents of planet earth, but stewards. God made man, not lions or tigers or bears (oh my!) his vice-regents. All that God has made is to be enjoyed and managed by humans.

All this is to simply say that God intended us to see the significance of human beings. I hope you will join us this Sunday as we strive to give God glory for his amazing, creative work.